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Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special - Black with Silver Anodized Pickguard Demo

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Poplar Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, and 3 Single-coil Pickups - Black
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$379.00
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New for $449.99

Condition Notes:

There is a finish crack in the bass side of the neck pocket. There are also fine scratches on various parts of the guitar that are not photographed. These scratches do not show well in photos, if at all.

This item was thoroughly inspected by our factory-authorized service team and is backed by Sweetwater's exclusive 2-year warranty. These images are of the exact item advertised, and provide as accurate a representation of its condition as possible. If you need further information, please call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700.

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Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special - Black with Silver Anodized Pickguard
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Contemporary Strat with a Novel Sound

The Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special puts a new twist on a Sweetwater favorite with several novel, unique upgrades. Starting with eye-catching black hardware and a painted headstock with sharp chrome logos, the Contemporary Stratocaster Special makes it known that this isn’t your ordinary Strat. But where things get really interesting is in the unique pickup configuration, which puts all three single-coil pickups on a slant and shifts the middle pickup closer to the bridge for a totally new Strat sound. On top of that, the Contemporary Stratocaster Special boasts an eminently playable roasted maple neck, with a speed-promoting 12-inch radius fingerboard. Made for adventurous guitar players, the Contemporary Stratocaster Special is a bold addition to the Strat lineage!

Unique pickup configurations for all-new tones

What makes the Contemporary Stratocaster Special so… “special”? Its totally unique pickup configuration, of course! The Contemporary Stratocaster Special’s pickup set comprises three angled Squier SQR alnico single-coils, with the middle pickup scooched closer to the bridge, allowing you to access never-before-heard sounds. Plus, with special switching options available on its 5-position blade, you’ll be blown away by the amount of tonal variation from this idiosyncratic axe!

5-position blade with special switching options

  • Position 1: Bridge and Middle (Series, Hum-Cancelling)
  • Position 2: Middle
  • Position 3: Middle and Neck (Parallel)
  • Position 4: Bridge, Middle, and Neck
  • Position 5: Neck

Ultra-stable roasted maple neck

Lead players will enjoy exploring the Contemporary Stratocaster Special’s quick, comfortable roasted maple neck, whose 12-inch radiused fingerboard flattens out toward the body to facilitate faster playing styles. Jumbo frets make bends and vibratos a cinch, too. Additionally, a sculpted neck heel enables high-register exploration without the struggle of a traditional heel!

Squier Contemporary Stratocaster Special Electric Guitar Features:

  • A new twist on the classic Stratocaster design
  • 3 Squier SQR alnico single-coils in a unique configuration
  • 5-position blade with special switching options
  • Fast, comfortable Slim "C" maple neck with 12-inch radiused fingerboard and jumbo frets
  • Painted '70s-era jumbo headstock with chrome logos
  • Premium black hardware, including tremolo bridge and die-cast sealed tuners

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online guitar buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next guitar online.

What is Demo Gear?

At Sweetwater, we're so picky that what we call a "demo" is actually better than what most music retailers sell as "new" gear! Our gear hasn't endured hundreds of people a week plunking away at all the keyboards, fumbling through Stairway to Heaven on every guitar or playing with every fader and knob on a mixer or control surface.

What demo means to us is that we've had it out of the box, or maybe it was in a customer's hands for a few days and isn't "factory fresh" as a result. Every demo item we sell has Sweetwater's 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ warranty, and has been tested and verified up to "new" specs by our factory-authorized technicians to make sure it's in perfect working order before we ship it to you.

Note: While demo items from Squier do not include the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation warranty, you can shop with confidence knowing that this item is backed and covered by Sweetwater’s 2-year Total Confidence Coverage™ warranty.

When you buy a Demo item at Sweetwater, you get:
  • 2-year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty™!
  • Products inspected and tested by our factory-authorized techs, guaranteed to function like new (or better)!
  • FREE shipping on most items
  • Equipment that will MEET or EXCEED your expectations!

Click HERE to browse our current inventory of Demo equipment. Purchasing demo gear from Sweetwater is a smart and safe way to save!

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Warranty Info

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape Contemporary Stratocaster
  • Body Material Poplar
  • Body Finish Gloss Polyurethane
  • Color Black
  • Neck
  • Neck Material Roasted Maple
  • Neck Shape C
  • Neck Joint Bolt-on
  • Radius 12"
  • Fingerboard Material Roasted Maple
  • Fingerboard Inlay Black Dots
  • Number of Frets 22, Jumbo
  • Scale Length 25.5"
  • Nut Width 1.650"
  • Nut Material Graphite
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Block Saddles
  • Tuners Die-cast Sealed
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Squier SQR Alnico Single-coil
  • Middle Pickup Squier SQR Alnico Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup Squier SQR Alnico Single-coil
  • Controls 1 x master volume, 1 x master tone
  • Switching 5-way blade pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings Fender, .009-.042
  • Case/Gig Bag Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0370230506

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

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Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 4.5/5

More than I expected

Great guitar right out of the box i guess was most surprised by the full size block for the tremolo Great finish roasted maple necks you can't go wrong
Music background: I'm 57 and been playing seriously since I was 19 ive been in metal, classic rock, country and even a bluegrass band but now I just play and write for a hobby and my sanity in a world gone crazy
Rated 2/5

A $200 dollar guitar at best

I'll start with the good things about this guitar; I love the way it sounds, and the clean tone is some of the best tone you get out of a squier, but that's about where it ends, everything else about this guitar has been awful. To start, the tuners are not good. The thing goes out of tune if you look at it wrong and won't stay in tune when it's being played. As far as playability, it feels like you're playing a 2X4 attached to some fishing line. Feels very stiff. I've also had trouble with the input jack coming loose. In under a year of ownership, I've had to take apart and tighten the input jack around 4 times. This a 200 dollar guitar at best. You'd be better off buying an affinity or a bullet for the price.
Music background: Experienced guitar player
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